ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the role of food waste in a regenerative agriculture with a caveat that categorizing the concept of waste as “resource” (Moore 2012) should be done carefully. When food waste is viewed as a “resource” and through the lens of commodification, the scaling up of said resource may result in overuse and more wastage instead of prevention. This chapter will also provide an overview of key concepts relevant to the management of food waste such as recycling and reuse. I use the terms “cradle to cradle” and closed loop to define the principles of regenerative food system and to unpack the definition of “waste.” The field of food system planning and its contribution toward the development of a closed loop food system with integrated and sustainable food waste management will also be explored through a case study of Indonesia. In reframing the concept of waste and challenging the simple categorization of what is “food” and what is “waste,” this chapter will provide alternative frameworks that may reshape the ways in which we as a society view and value food.
